Friends Forever
by CrystalMasaki
Summary: Tenchi's 7 years old and, Ryoko, his best friend since forever moved. What happens 10 years later?
1. Prologue

Prologue  
  
"You're moving?" a seven-year-old Tenchi Masaki disbelievingly asked his best friend Ryoko.  
  
Ryoko nodded sadly. She pulled her falling overall strap back over her shoulder. "My mommy got a better science job in Tokyo, and we have to move." Ryoko looked sadly at the lake's water below her. "And ... I won't come back... for along time."  
  
Tenchi frowned sadley. "Well, I'll miss you Ryoko." Tenchi said sadley. "Here," He said while searching his pocket. "Take this," He said while handing her a small object.  
  
Ryoko looked in her hands. "You're lucky Bell?" She asked him while starring at the small iron bell with a tassel. "But Tenchi, it gives you good luck."  
  
"Not anymore," He said while frowning. "You keep it."  
  
Ryoko slightly smiled. "Thank you Tenchi." She pushed up against him and kissed his cheek. "I'll keep it forever." She promised him.  
  
"Ryoko! C'mon girl! It's time to go!" Her mother, Washu, yelled.  
  
Ryoko looked sadly at Tenchi and Tenchi at her. She hugged him. "Goodbye." She whispered.  
  
"Bye." Tenchi said back.  
  
Ryoko pulled away and ran up the hill. Half way up she turned back and waved. "I'll never forget you Tenchi!"  
  
"I'll never forget you either Ryoko!" He shouted back.  
  
Ryoko ran up the hill some more. At the very top she turned again, and waved to him for the very last time. 


	2. Ten years later

Tenchi lay down on the living room couch, trying desperately to stay cool. The air conditioner barley blew out any cold air, from what he could tell. He sighed and rested his arm over his eyes. Tenchi took in a deep breath, sluggishly letting it come out.  
  
Tenchi just couldn't take the blazing heat anymore. He sat up and pulled off his shirt, trying to cool down. He couldn't believe the sultry July weather.  
  
Ding! Dong!  
  
Tenchi's attention went to the door. He got up and opened it. "Yes?" He asked a girl wearing a summer dress, sandals, and a summer hat with a bow.  
  
"Tenchi?"  
  
Tenchi looked at her. How did she know his name?  
  
She had a small smile, and it faded when she realized he didn't know who she was. "Tenchi... Tenchi, don't you know who I am?"  
  
Tenchi was about to say no, but he realized who she was. Who else has hair like that? He thought. "Ryoko?" He asked. "No, way! Ryoko?"  
  
Her smiled returned. "Yep, it's me!" She said with a dreamy look in her eyes.  
  
"Well, come in." Tenchi said while opening the door. Ryoko followed him inside the house, and sighed with happiness. Tenchi sat on the couch and gestured for her to also. When she sat down and took off her hat, Tenchi asked, "So, what's been going on?" Tenchi asked her full of interest.  
  
"Well... nothing... much." She said slowly while looking at his sweaty, and not to mention sexy, bare upper body. Tenchi didn't notice this; he was looking at her too.  
  
"It's nice to see you again." He let her know.  
  
"We have so much to catch up on... I know! How about we go to the lake like we used to?"  
  
Tenchi sighed. It would be nice to go back there with her. "Alright, let's go," He said, while getting up. He grabbed his shirt and put it back on.  
  
  
  
-The lake-  
  
They sat by the lake, starring into it. The bright sun's rays made the water look like shinny stars were bouncing on and off it.  
  
Tenchi looked at her. "Where do you live now?"  
  
She touched the water with her feet. "My mom's renting a house." She put her hands behind her back and leaned her weight on them. "It's a little closer than my old one."  
  
"Didn't they--"  
  
"Tear it down? Yes." Tenchi remembered when that happened. He was really sad for a long time. They always played at each other's house, and when they tore her house down, it was like they were tearing all of his cherished childhood memories too.  
  
"And what about your father?"  
  
Ryoko cringed. "Let's just say, the happiest day of my life was when he died."  
  
Tenchi looked at her for a second and then turned back to the water. "We had allot of good times here, didn't we?"  
  
Ryoko nodded. "Yeah... We met here."  
  
"And where we separated here."  
  
Ryoko looked at his face sadley. "Ten years... I really missed this place... my house... you... the only real friend I had." She said while putting a hand over one of his.  
  
Tenchi blushed. "I've missed you allot too." He smiled.  
  
Ryoko removed her hand and turned back to the lake. "Hey," she said. "Wanna go in?" She asked.  
  
Tenchi starred at her. "Go in?" He asked, not knowing what she was talking about.  
  
"Go in the lake."  
  
Tenchi shrugged. "I don't know..."  
  
"C'mon! Are you chicken?" She asked.  
  
"No!" He countered.  
  
Ryoko sat up and threw her hat aside, and kicked away her sandals that were already off. She walked out into the lake. Ryoko looked back, "Hey! You coming?"  
  
Tenchi hesitated, but decided to go along with her plan. It was hot, and he couldn't stand the heat anymore. He quickly took off his shirt and shoes and followed her out until the water was at his shoulders.  
  
"Ha, ha, ha," Ryoko laughed. "So you aren't chicken after all," she said.  
  
Tenchi grinned and splashed her.  
  
"Hey!" Ryoko playfully whined. She splashed him back.  
  
Tenchi ducked under the water. Ryoko tried to spot him through the water but couldn't see him. She sighed and decided to wait for him instead. Suddenly, she felt two hands on her shoulders push her down. She jumped up and took in a deep breath. "You think you're something, don't you?"  
  
Tenchi didn't respond, just laughed. Ryoko loved the way he laughed. He laughed just like he used to. It's weird how she can remember little things like that from so long ago.  
  
"Hey, remember when we first swam in here?" Ryoko thought back. She remembered Tenchi in his little swimming trunks and his float that all the kids were fascinated with.  
  
"Yeah." He laughed. "Those were the days, right?" he pumped up to float on his back. "How old were we? Four? Five?"  
  
"One of those, yeah," a small sigh left her lips. "So, do you have a girlfriend?" She asked with a tiny blush.  
  
Tenchi looked at her, "No ...do you have a boyfriend?" He asked her.  
  
"Nope." Ryoko starred at the sky that the sun was begging to set from. "Hey, Tenchi, I want to show you something." She said while getting out.  
  
Tenchi got out of the lake with her and put his shoes and shirt back on, and followed her.  
  
Ryoko led him to where a medium sized house was. It was like most of the other houses in Japan. Had sliding doors and were wooden.  
  
She turned to him. "Hold on a sec," She ran into the house, and came out with a box. "Here, look at this," She pulled something out of it. The object was hanging from her fingers. "Here," She put it in his hands. It was a bell. Something like the one he gave her, only it had a blue tassel and was a bit newer. She pulled out another one. It was the one he gave her, with the red tassel.  
  
"Ryoko... I... I don't know what to say,"  
  
"Well, I got you it the other day, when I found out I was moving back." She hung hers on her finger and made the bell ring. "Now we both have one from each other." She smiled.  
  
Tenchi thanked her and held on to it. If he put it in his wet pants it would have gotten ruined. "So, this is your house?" Tenchi asked her.  
  
"Yep." She looked at it. "It's not as big as the other one though."  
  
"Hey Ryoko," Her mother, Washu, called to her. She stepped out of the house. "Oh my god, what happened to you?"  
  
Ryoko laughed, "I went for a swim." She stepped behind Tenchi. "Look, mom, do you know who this is?"  
  
Washu looked at him. "I know you, you're that Masaki boy." She said with a smile. She looked him up and down. "Well, more like a man now." She laughed.  
  
Tenchi blushed, "It's nice to see you again Mrs. Hakubi,"  
  
Washu smiled. "Likewise," She turned back to Ryoko. "You change your clothes," Washu rested her hands on her hips. "You know which box is yours right?"  
  
Ryoko nodded and looked at Tenchi. "I'll come by your house tomorrow, okay?"  
  
Tenchi smiled. "Alright." 


	3. Relaxation

Ryoko pushed a large box into the corner of her small, yet cozy, room. She whipped her forehead off. "Phew, okay, that's all of them," Ryoko looked around the room. She turned off her light and lay on her bed. She starred at the ceiling a long time before she finally fell asleep.  
  
Ryoko woke up at around one. She put on a tight, dark blue shirt with white flowery designs on it and thin straps, white short shorts, and black platform sandals. She looked in a mirror, at her hair. Ryoko opened a box and pulled out a hair band. She pulled her hair up into a loose ponytail. "Hey Ryoko!" Washu called from the living room. "Yeah?" Ryoko answered. "I'm not going to be back until, about one in the morning." "Uh... okay." Washu walked into Ryoko's room and threw Ryoko a key while saying, "Here." Ryoko caught the key with one hand. Washu looked at her daughter. "Let me guess: Tenchi?" Ryoko turned and looked at her mom. "What?" "You still like him." Ryoko blushed. "I don't know WHAT you are talking about mom. I never liked Tenchi, only as a friend." "C'mon, you know you like him," Washu teased. Ryoko plugged her ears with her fingers. "Ya... la la la... I can't hear you... la la..." Washu laughed. "You little brat," she walked off, still laughing. Ryoko rolled her eyes and put the key into her pocket. She left her house and took of to Tenchi's.  
  
When Ryoko got to Tenchi's door, she slowly pushed the bell. I wonder why I feel so different around here... I never used to be... "Hi Ryoko!" Came Tenchi's usual cheery voice. "Hi Tenchi!" Tenchi gestured for her to come in. "So, what have you been doing?" Ryoko asked. Tenchi lead her to the kitchen. "Well... heh," He scratched the back of his head. "Making feeble attempt to cook spaghetti." He showed her a pot of stuck-together spaghetti. Ryoko laughed. "Oh, I'll help you Tenchi." She smiled. "But first, let's do something about this."  
  
Two hours later...  
  
"Wow! That was really great Ryoko!" Ryoko blushed. "Really?" she asked. It was about time her practice paid off. "Yeah!" Tenchi said while putting the plates into the dishwasher. "Well, want do you want to do now?" Ryoko shrugged. "I dunno." "You like video games?" He asked. Dummy! Girls don't like video games! He thought. "Sure." Maybe they do...  
  
They ended up playing Tekken Tag. (Whoa, BIG AU) Tenchi used Jin and Hwoarang, and Ryoko used Ling and Jun. Ryoko would win some, then Tenchi, then her. It was practically a tie. "Ha! Take that!" Ryoko shouted. "Oh no... no no.." Tenchi said while getting hit pretty bad. Then he found a move with Jin and started getting her pretty bad. "Grrr!" Ryoko lost the battle. "Ah, play you again!" "Your on!" They played the game for eight hours straight. Neither of them realized it, but they did. They also didn't notice Nobuyuki coming into the house. He starred at the two. "Now, who's this pretty lady?" Nobuyuki asked, already knowing. "Dad this is Ryoko," Tenchi said, not breaking away from the screen. "You remember her." "Yeah, and how could you forget me anyway?" She asked, also glued to the screen. Nobuyuki laughed. "Of course I do, I was just kidding," He looked at a clock. "It's eleven... shouldn't you two be like... asleep?" He asked while taking his jacket off and putting it into a closet. Tenchi looked at a clock, forgetting about the game, "It is late... I didn't realize that--" he turned to the game to find a cheering Ling and Jun, and a laughing Ryoko. "HEY! No fair! You cheated!" Ryoko stuck her tongue out. "Snooze ya loose."  
  
Tenchi sighed. Ryoko looked at the clock herself. "Ah! I better get back before my mom does," she got up and started to leave. "Wait," Nobuyuki said. "Tenchi drive her home. Use the van." "But I--" Ryoko started. "No, no, we insist." Tenchi got up and took his dad's keys from him. "It's no problem," He smiled. Ryoko smiled back. "Okay..."  
  
Tenchi walked out side with Ryoko following. "Wow, it's pretty cold out here." Tenchi said while leading Ryoko to the van. "Yeah, it is." Tenchi opened the van's door and unlocked her side. Ryoko got in. They put their seat belts on and Tenchi started the vehicle. "So R yoko, how's everything going in your house? You finish unpacking?" "Well I got the boxes into my room last night, got tired, and went to sleep." said Ryoko while looking at the moon. "Hmm..." Tenchi backed out of his dirt driveway, and onto the dirt road. "So... um... heh..." He glanced over at her. "What was your old school like?" "It was... well a big building with a lot of snobs..." She laughed. "You didn't like it there?" "No... not really..." Tenchi focused back on the road. In five minutes they got there. "So, I'll see you later Tenchi," she got out and ran to her door. Ryoko put the key inside the door, turned it, and looked back at Tenchi. "Bye Tenchi!" Tenchi waved a hand. "Later." He backed out and waved one more time before driving away. Ryoko sighed and walked inside her house. 


End file.
